Defeat al Qaeda on the Waterfront

Fighting terrorism involves efforts on many fronts. One of the most vital for the Navy is guaranteeing the safety of harbors, piers, and ships pierside. Anticipating how terrorists will attempt to exploit the Navy’s vulnerabilities on the waterfront is key to defeating them. Stealing a page from Sun Tzu, al Qaeda preaches to its disciples the value of knowing your enemy. Terrorists instruct that “winning the battle is dependent on knowing the enemy’s secrets, movements, and plans.” 1 Sun Tzu’s timeless edict of knowing the enemy applies equally well for developing successful Navy antiterrorism/force protection measures. 2

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Commander Pelkofski was commanding officer of the Deyo (DD-989), which deployed in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. He currently serves at U.S. Fleet Forces Command in the operations directorate.

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